Equipment Question from a noob...
- Thread starter kwill
- Start date
I ran a fixture similar to this one. They are cheaper, have a sleek look and to a good job.
The cons are; When the light goes out, replacing it is a b*tch as the bulbs are virtually assembled into the unit as its being made.
They tend to offer "iffy" hqi ballast although quality has gotten much better in recent years. (Thier were issues of fire hazards in earlier models.
I say they are great fixtures for the price.
Plan on replacing the entire fixture in two years if you purchase it.... Your cost of running such a light will still be less than purchasing a top line model, and you get new equipment out of the deal!
A lot of people will tell you these are junk, which no, they aren't, but you do get what you pay for, as personally, I'd rather replace a cheap light every 18 months to 2 years than replace an expensive light every 5 or 6 years, as in the end, they all depreciate in value.
Just they way I see it....
The cons are; When the light goes out, replacing it is a b*tch as the bulbs are virtually assembled into the unit as its being made.
They tend to offer "iffy" hqi ballast although quality has gotten much better in recent years. (Thier were issues of fire hazards in earlier models.
I say they are great fixtures for the price.
Plan on replacing the entire fixture in two years if you purchase it.... Your cost of running such a light will still be less than purchasing a top line model, and you get new equipment out of the deal!
A lot of people will tell you these are junk, which no, they aren't, but you do get what you pay for, as personally, I'd rather replace a cheap light every 18 months to 2 years than replace an expensive light every 5 or 6 years, as in the end, they all depreciate in value.
Just they way I see it....
Wait a minute! If the bulbs are nearly impossible to change then that unit should be tossed in a year max.
Kwill spend the extra money and buy a product with a shed of quality. Heck if your somewhat patient wait and watch the sell threads. Quality lights cone up all the time, especially now that the populace is moving towards LED. I'd even start a WTB thread, there's probably some out there now.
Kwill spend the extra money and buy a product with a shed of quality. Heck if your somewhat patient wait and watch the sell threads. Quality lights cone up all the time, especially now that the populace is moving towards LED. I'd even start a WTB thread, there's probably some out there now.
Look in Reef Discussion. You should find threads about different types of lights and their quality. You could even assemble one that fits your tastes. People will tell you that LumenMax reflectors are the best and based on their construction, I won't deny that they are great reflectors. At one time ARO ballasts were considered the top of the line but there are others that can match them in quality of output. Find people that have tanks that you'd like yours to look like and ask them what kind of equipment they're running. If you've got the cash, now might be the time to go LED and skip everything else but my gut feeling is LEDs will come down in price dramatically in the next year so it may be worth the wait.
Bottomline....do some homework. Evaluate and continue to ask questions on here. Somewhere within all the responses, you'll find the answer you're looking for.
Bottomline....do some homework. Evaluate and continue to ask questions on here. Somewhere within all the responses, you'll find the answer you're looking for.
A wealthy person once told me "To attain nice things, you buy the best you can afford and take care of it always".......Good Advise when it comes to things you'll always keep. That statement doesn't apply to anything that plugs in, as these items are, in the long run, disposable.
I owned a janitorial service for 13 years, salesmen always wanted to sell me on the latest Kirby vacuum at $1000.00 a pop, telling me it's the last vacuum I'll ever purchase. Being that I'm the type that wants to take advantage of new technologies as they come along, I always declined.
Cheaper items that get replaced regularly are sometimes a better investment than expensive items that you keep much longer, in order to get a return on your investment.
2 years from now, LED fixtures will be much cheaper still and you may want to go that route, and can because you're not stuck with an expensive MH system that you can't unload, because everyone else wants LEDs as well.
I looked at some $400.00 MH systems for my cube two years ago, but bought a used Coralife clamp on for 100.00. Now I'm looking at $200.00 LED fixtures to replace the clamp-on model. Both lights together will still cost me $100.00 less than the top of the line MH system I was looking at, which would have been two years old by now. Had I bought the top line MH model two years ago, then LED wouldn't be a possibility for me now.
I've been doing saltwater for 25 years now. This is just an equipment lesson I had to learn, being that I personally have a very finite budget in which to spend in this hobby.
Edit: I didn't post that the Odyssea Lamps are impossible to replace, only a b*tch to replace...
I still think the Odyssea fixtures are a valid option for someone just getting in the hobby. Piecing together a lighting system is like reinventing the wheel to a noob, since they probably need to be focused on learning chemistry.
Its a plug n play all in one fixture. I used one for a few years when I got back in the hobby after a break. They do a good job for what they are, without having to sweat the cost.
I owned a janitorial service for 13 years, salesmen always wanted to sell me on the latest Kirby vacuum at $1000.00 a pop, telling me it's the last vacuum I'll ever purchase. Being that I'm the type that wants to take advantage of new technologies as they come along, I always declined.
Cheaper items that get replaced regularly are sometimes a better investment than expensive items that you keep much longer, in order to get a return on your investment.
2 years from now, LED fixtures will be much cheaper still and you may want to go that route, and can because you're not stuck with an expensive MH system that you can't unload, because everyone else wants LEDs as well.
I looked at some $400.00 MH systems for my cube two years ago, but bought a used Coralife clamp on for 100.00. Now I'm looking at $200.00 LED fixtures to replace the clamp-on model. Both lights together will still cost me $100.00 less than the top of the line MH system I was looking at, which would have been two years old by now. Had I bought the top line MH model two years ago, then LED wouldn't be a possibility for me now.
I've been doing saltwater for 25 years now. This is just an equipment lesson I had to learn, being that I personally have a very finite budget in which to spend in this hobby.
Edit: I didn't post that the Odyssea Lamps are impossible to replace, only a b*tch to replace...
I still think the Odyssea fixtures are a valid option for someone just getting in the hobby. Piecing together a lighting system is like reinventing the wheel to a noob, since they probably need to be focused on learning chemistry.
Its a plug n play all in one fixture. I used one for a few years when I got back in the hobby after a break. They do a good job for what they are, without having to sweat the cost.
This is the newer version of the light. (older models are offered on Ebay)
http://www.aquatraders.com/48-716W-Metal-Halide-T5-LED-Combo-p/54267.htm">http://www.aquatraders.com/48-716W-Metal-Halide-T5-LED-Combo-p/54267.htm</a>
Same price, newer model, still free shipping. You can also read some reviews from other purchasers
And from reading the reviews, the new design makes it easier to replace the bulbs.
http://www.aquatraders.com/48-716W-Metal-Halide-T5-LED-Combo-p/54267.htm">http://www.aquatraders.com/48-716W-Metal-Halide-T5-LED-Combo-p/54267.htm</a>
Same price, newer model, still free shipping. You can also read some reviews from other purchasers
And from reading the reviews, the new design makes it easier to replace the bulbs.
LOL, Odyssea already has FW LED fixtures. Granted they are only 5 watts, but that's a good sign that LED prices are on their way down, as LED aquarium lighting becomes more mainstream.
Kudos to Odyssea/ Aquatraders for marketing these fixtures as FW only, and not trying to make a buck on reefers, like some Ebay sellers do/have.
Kudos to Odyssea/ Aquatraders for marketing these fixtures as FW only, and not trying to make a buck on reefers, like some Ebay sellers do/have.
harleytodd
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Kwill- Been running this fixture for 2 years now. No problems at all. I've changed the bulbs twice and it is a little bit of a pain in the ***, but well worth for what it initially cost. A good fixture for the money, IMO...
According to the reviews of the newest design, it only takes five minutes to change now, a true plus++++ over the model I had about 7 years ago.
I had to take the fixture half apart to get to the bulb, but I think I paid 149.00 for a 36" fixture, so I just tossed it and bought new....
